Gun Range Etiquette — 8 Tips for Safe Shooting

We’ve all seen them — you know those guys who don’t follow range rules, or who handle firearms in a careless manner. Sometimes bad range etiquette is simply annoying. Other times poor gun-handling practices can be downright dangerous. The NRA Blog has published a useful article about range safety and “range etiquette”. While these tips were formulated with indoor ranges in mind, most of the points apply equally well to outdoor ranges. You may want to print out this article to provide to novice shooters at your local range or club.

8 Tips for Gun Range Etiquette

Story by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog
Here are eight tips on range etiquette to keep yourself and others safe while enjoying your day out [at the range]. Special thanks to NRA Headquarters Range General Manager Michael Johns who assisted with this article.

1. Follow the Three Fundamental Rules for Safe Gun Handling
ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

2. Bring Safety Gear (Eye and Ear Protection)
Eye and Ear protection are MANDATORY for proper safety and health, no matter if “required” by range rules or not. It is the shooter’s responsibility to ensure proper protection is secured and used prior to entering/using any range. Hearing loss can be instantaneous and permanent in some cases. Eyesight can be ruined in an instant with a catastrophic firearm failure.

3. Carry a Gun Bag or Case
Common courtesy and general good behavior dictates that you bring all firearms to a range unloaded and cased and/or covered. No range staff appreciates a stranger walking into a range with a “naked” firearm whose loaded/unloaded condition is not known. You can buy a long gun sock or pistol case for less than $10.

4. Know Your Range’s Rules
Review and understand any and all “range specific” rules/requirements/expectations set forth by your range. What’s the range’s maximum rate of fire? Are you allowed to collect your brass? Are you required to take a test before you can shoot? Don’t be afraid to ask the staff questions or tell them it’s your first time. They’re there to help.

5. Follow ALL Range Officer instructions
ROs are the first and final authority on any range and their decisions are generally final. Arguing/debating with a Range Officer is both in poor taste and may just get you thrown out depending on circumstances.

6. Don’t Bother Others or Touch Their Guns
Respect other shooters’ privacy unless a safety issue arises. Do NOT engage other shooters to correct a perceived safety violation unless absolutely necessary – inform the RO instead. Shooters have the right and responsibility to call for a cease fire should a SERIOUS safety event occur. Handling/touching another shooter’s firearm without their permission is a major breech of protocol. Offering unsolicited “training” or other instructional suggestions to other shooters is also impolite.

7. Know What To Do During a Cease Fire
IMMEDIATELY set down your firearm, pointed downrange, and STEP AWAY from the shooting booth (or bench). The Range Officer(s) on duty will give instructions from that point and/or secure all firearms prior to going downrange if needed. ROs do not want shooters trying to “secure/unload” their firearms in a cease fire situation, possibly in a stressful event; they want the shooters separated from their guns instantly so that they can then control the situation as they see fit.

8. Clean Up After Yourself
Remember to take down your old targets, police your shooting booth, throw away your trash, and return any equipment/chairs, etc. Other people use the range too; no one wants to walk up to a dirty lane.

4 Responses to “Gun Range Etiquette — 8 Tips for Safe Shooting”

Same etiquette rules for outdoor pistol and or rifle ranges. I am a NRA Range Safety Officer, and our local range where I volunteer regularly, most are really good about range rules and RSO commands, others are just dumb or stupid. The worst is people do not clean up after themselves, then guess who gets to do it. Just remember that the RSO is there for your safety. If he asks you to something there is a reason, ask why later.

I would add that you should refrain from loud conversations near to the firing point. I remember one day when I was shooting a really good string and then the firers on either side of me started a loud conversation laughing and joking and completely put me off. I dropped shots and was extremely unhappy to say the least!

This is a good topic for general shooter discussion, and improvement. Thanks for publishing it. When people do not follow proper range safety and etiquette procedures I think that part of it is that they have not been properly trained by a range, and partly that they fail to think about what effect their behavior has on others’ shooting experience. Nevertheless, there is a great need to increase awareness in this area, and your publication of this article makes a valuable contribution to that effort. Thanks

I have never been to a gun range before, but these are pretty much all the same rules we follow when we do our own custom range. It’s too easy to accidentally hurt someone with a gun, so you have to make sure you are consciously avoiding having an accident happen. The cease fire rules are good to, we should start putting the guns down when we need to stop firing for an emergency reason.